Stroke
Background
Stroke is a medical emergency. It occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, causing oxygen depletion and loss of function of the affected area. Strokes could be caused by either a clot in a blood vessel stopping blood passing to the brain or a burst blood vessel bleeds into the brain. Stroke is more common in old age. It is associated with circulatory system disorders, such as high blood pressure. Early recognition and hospital care (within 3 hours) may improve the chance of recovery. In Hong Kong, nearly 3,000 people die of stroke each year. At present, it is the 4th fatal disease in Hong Kong. In general, people who suffer from a stroke are usually over the age of 50.
Symptoms and signs
A characteristic of acute stroke is that the symptoms and signs often come suddenly. - Facial weakness - Limb weakness - Speech problems like slurring or inability to comprehend or express - Difficulty to swallow, maybe associated with drooling and easy choking - Headache, especially new or sudden - Nausea not accountable by other apparent causes - Reduced level of responsiveness - Numbness and tingling in face, arms or legs - Dizziness especially persistent, severe or unrelated to posture change - Loss of balance or inability to walk steadily - Blurred vision especially only one eye is affected - Loss of bladder or bowel control
Central Nervous System
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